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Football words and expressions beginning with A

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18 yard box- Another way to say PENALTY BOXAbandoned match- A match that the REFEREE stops before REGULATION TIME (and sometimes before the game starts), for example because of very bad weather, or a bad PITCH INVASIONAC- English short form of AC Milan, often met with blank incomprehension by ItaliansAerial skills- Being good at HEADing the ballAgainst the run of play- A goal scored when the other team seems to be doing much better, for example when most of the play is in the other half of the pitchAggregate score- Calculated by adding the two scores together when teams play two matches, one at HOME and one AWAY, for example in the SEMI FINALSAll- Used to show that the FINAL SCORE was a draw, e.g. “Two all” for “Two two”All-seater- A stadium with no standing room on the TERRACES where everyone must sit down instead. All British grounds in the top divisions have to be all-seaters due to safety concernsAnticipation- Being able to predict what will happen next, for example where a STRIKER will try to scoreArea (the)- The rectangular part of the pitch near the goal within which the GOALKEEPER is allowed to use their hands to control the ball. More properly called the PENALTY AREAArtificial turf- TURF made from man-made materials rather than the usual grass. It is easier to maintain but difficult to play on and can injure players who fall on itAssistant referee- The modern official name for a LINESMANAssociation football- The official name of football, to contrast it with rugby football. The informal form SOCCER is a shortening of the word “association” in this expressionAttacker- (1) Any player with the ball who is trying to move it towards the OPPOSITION’s goal (2) A strikerAttempt- Usually means a failed SHOT AT GOAL Automatic promotion- Teams who can go up to the next DIVISION without needing to go through a PLAYOFF match with other candidates for PROMOTION, usually because they finished first or second in their division at the end of the REGULAR SEASONAway goal (rule)- When the AGGREGRATE SCORE from HOME and AWAY matches is a DRAW (e.g. 2-1 plus 1-0 equals 2-2), goals scored AWAY count more than goals scored at home and so can decide which team progresses to the next round (in the example, the team who was playing at home in the second match because they scored once away from home wins)Away- playing away from your HOME GROUND at the ground of the OPPOSITION. The opposite of HOMEAway leg- When a TIE is played in LEGs at both teams’ GROUNDs, the match that isn’t played at your own ground. The opposite of HOME LEGAway strip- A second set of clothes (KIT) that teams use when teams play AWAY and their usual strip would be too similar to that of the HOME TEAM, e.g. because both Liverpool and Manchester United play in red. Azzurri – Nickname for the Italian NATIONAL SIDE, meaning “the Blues” due to the colour of their STRIP

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